Today's Pharma Pulse
Ona lands $86.6M Series B, one of Spain’s biggest biotech rounds
Spanish biotech firm Ona announced an $86.6 million Series B financing, ranking among the largest venture rounds in Spain’s life‑science sector this year. The round was led by Seventure Partners with participation from existing backers and new strategic investors. The funding will be used to scale Ona’s AI‑driven drug discovery platform and accelerate its pre‑clinical programs.
Combining Novel Dual HIF Inhibitors with Immunotherapy Erases Multiple Tumor Types in Mice
Researchers at Johns Hopkins and the University of Maryland have created first‑in‑class small‑molecule inhibitors that simultaneously block hypoxia‑inducible factors 1 and 2. In mouse models, the dual HIF‑1/2 inhibitors eradicated breast, colorectal, melanoma and prostate tumors when paired with checkpoint antibodies such as anti‑CTLA‑4 or anti‑PD‑1. The compounds are orally bioavailable and showed no safety signals even at supratherapeutic doses. These findings suggest a new strategy to overcome hypoxia‑driven resistance to immunotherapy across multiple solid cancers.
Blocking KDM4 Reactivates Tumor Suppressor, Halts AML
Scientists have restored a silenced tumor-suppressor gene in mice with acute myeloid leukemia by blocking KDM4 enzymes, suggesting a potential new therapeutic approach that avoids harming normal blood cells. leukemia
Part 1—Jason Aldred, MD: Understanding Possible Side Effects When Treating Patients with Parkinson’s Disease
Dr. Jason Aldred of Selkirk Neurology highlights the safety profile of Vyalev (foscarbidopa/foslevodopa), a subcutaneous therapy for Parkinson's disease. He notes that injection‑site reactions such as erythema, swelling, tenderness, bruising, and induration are the most common adverse events. Aldred advises...
Cell Line Development Has to Evolve
Cell line development (CLD) remains a hidden bottleneck that dictates speed to clinic, manufacturability, and long‑term product performance. Traditional random‑integration and lengthy clone screening are giving way to engineered platforms, especially glutamine synthetase (GS) knockout systems, which reduce heterogeneity and...
DOJ Weighs in Favor of Pharma on 340B Dispute
The U.S. Department of Justice filed a brief backing pharmaceutical manufacturers in the ongoing 340B drug‑discount litigation. The brief argues that discounts should be calculated using the average manufacturer price rather than the lowest price, a stance that could curb...
The Peptide Fad Lures Health Tech
Health‑tech firms are pivoting toward peptide therapeutics as the next growth engine after the blockbuster GLP‑1 weight‑loss drugs. Peptides, which include insulin and GLP‑1, are being explored for obesity, metabolic and chronic disease treatments. Industry analysts project the global peptide...
Weizmann Scientists Engineer Tobacco Plant to Produce Five Psychedelics at Once
A team from the Weizmann Institute of Science has genetically modified a tobacco plant to produce five distinct psychedelic compounds in a single host. The breakthrough could streamline drug research and reduce ecological pressure on natural sources, while raising biosecurity...
GENFIT Reports Full-Year 2025 Financial Results and Provides Corporate Update
GENFIT reported 2025 results with cash €101.1 million (~$109 million) and revenue €65.4 million (~$70.6 million), the bulk coming from Ipsen milestones and royalties. Iqirvo® generated $208 million in full‑year sales, triggering a $20 million commercial milestone and activating an additional €30 million (~$32 million) royalty‑financing tranche. The...
Cocrystal Pharma Shares Jump 51% After FDA Grants Fast Track to Norovirus Drug
Cocrystal Pharma (COCP) saw its shares climb 50.98% to $1.54 after the FDA granted Fast Track designation to its oral antiviral candidate CDI-988 for norovirus. The designation could accelerate development and bring the first oral therapy for the virus closer...
UK and US Lock in Pharmaceutical Deal
The United Kingdom and the United States have finalized the legal text of a landmark pharmaceutical partnership that eliminates import tariffs on U.S. medicines and certain medical technologies for at least three years. The agreement arrives amid heightened diplomatic tension,...
Aspect Biosystems – Announces $280 Million Partnership with Government of Canada to Advance Development of Bioengineered Cellular Medicines
Aspect Biosystems secured a CAD $79 million (≈ $58 million USD) investment from the Government of Canada, funding a CAD $280 million (≈ $204 million USD) multi‑year project to accelerate its bioengineered cellular medicines pipeline. The funding builds on a prior CAD $200 million (≈ $146 million USD) co‑investment announced in 2024 and will expand...
Alpha Cognition Q4 2025 Earnings Show 62% Sales Surge as COO D’Angelo Drives Rollout
Alpha Cognition reported $2.8 million in Q4 2025 revenue, with ZUNVEYL sales up 62% quarter‑over‑quarter. COO Lauren D’Angelo highlighted a rapid go‑to‑market expansion across long‑term‑care facilities, while the company balances rising operating costs against a $66 million cash cushion.
Bipartisan INSULIN Act Targets $35 Monthly Cap for Private‑Insurance Users
Senators Jeanne Shaheen, Raphael Warnock, Susan Collins and John Kennedy introduced the INSULIN Act, capping private‑insurance insulin costs at $35 per month and launching a pilot for uninsured patients in ten states. The move could affect roughly 8.1 million insulin users...
Feds Invest $79 Million in Aspect Biosystems to Develop 3D-Printed Tissue Treatment
Vancouver‑based Aspect Biosystems secured $79 million CAD (≈$58 million USD) from Canada’s Strategic Response Fund for a $280 million CAD (≈$204 million USD) project to scale its 3D‑printed tissue platform. The company will fund the remaining $201 million CAD (≈$147 million USD) and aims to enhance...
Biodexa Pharma Shares Surge 69% After Partnering with Syngene to Produce MTX240
Biodexa Pharmaceuticals saw its Nasdaq‑listed shares climb 69% after revealing a partnership with Syngene International to manufacture the active pharmaceutical ingredient and dosage form of its MTX240 candidate. The deal paves the way for an IND filing and a Phase...
Which Pharma Jobs Will Be Most In Demand Over the Next 5 Years?
The pharmaceutical sector is reshaping its workforce as AI, precision medicine, tighter regulations, and global manufacturing scale become central to drug development. Companies are seeking talent that can harness data‑driven discovery, navigate complex clinical trials, and ensure compliance across jurisdictions....
Drug Substance Maker Raises Prices Due to Energy Crisis; SpectronRX Gets $85M
BASF Pharma Solutions announced a 12% price increase on its active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) as soaring energy costs, driven by the ongoing Middle East conflict, strain its supply chain. The hike affects generic manufacturers and could push drug prices higher...
Lipocine's Postpartum Depression Drug Fails; AstraZeneca Claims Liver Cancer Win
Lipocine reported top‑line Phase 3 data for its postpartum depression candidate LPCN‑1154, revealing no statistically significant improvement over placebo and prompting a 77% plunge in its shares. The Utah‑based biotech’s safety profile was acceptable, but efficacy shortfalls undermine its commercial prospects....
HNSCC Market Is Expected to Reach to $4.5bn Across 8MM by 2034
GlobalData projects the head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) therapeutics market to grow from $2.0 bn in 2024 to $4.5 bn by 2034, reflecting an 8.4% compound annual growth rate. Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) dominate, accounting for 69% of 2024 sales...
Accelerating Drug Discovery with “Paradigm Shifting” AI Model
A multi‑institution team led by Michigan State University unveiled GPS, a machine‑learning platform that predicts how a compound will alter gene expression from its chemical structure. Trained on millions of transcriptomic measurements across more than 70 cell lines, GPS screened...
AI-Powered Cohorting Is Quietly Reshaping How Real-World Evidence Gets Built
AI‑powered cohorting is redefining how real‑world evidence is generated by replacing manual SQL‑driven processes with modular, workflow‑based automation. The new approach decomposes cohort construction into discrete steps—intent interpretation, clinical concept mapping, temporal reasoning, execution, validation, and explanation—each handled by specialized...
Pfizer Halts COVID Shot Trial Because They Can’t Find Enough Test Subjects Willing to Take Another Booster Shot
Pfizer and BioNTech have halted a large U.S. clinical trial of an updated COVID‑19 booster after failing to enroll enough healthy adults aged 50‑64. The study required tens of thousands of participants, but recruitment stalled amid a sharp decline in...
Trump Is Preparing 100% Tariffs on some Drugmakers, Documents Show
President Donald Trump is preparing to announce 100% tariffs on select pharmaceutical products, according to a draft memo obtained by Endpoints News. The tariffs would apply to a limited group of drugmakers, targeting high‑priced brand‑name drugs rather than the entire...
Asundexian
Bayer’s oral factor XIa inhibitor asundexian (BAY 2433334) has delivered positive Phase 3 data in the OCEANIC‑STROKE trial, positioning it as a potential first‑in‑class therapy for secondary stroke prevention. The drug aims to block pathological clot formation while minimizing the bleeding complications common...
5 Small Drug Stocks to Buy as Sector Recovery Gains Strength
Zacks highlights five small‑cap drug stocks—Indivior, Catalyst, Theravance, Relmada and Avalo—as attractive bets amid a sector recovery that began mid‑2025. Innovation in obesity, gene therapy and AI‑enabled discovery, together with steady M&A and improving pipelines, underpin a constructive 2026 outlook....
New Opioid Painkiller Has Surprisingly Few Side Effects
Scientists have identified a new opioid, N-desethyl‑fluornitrazene (DFNZ), derived from the long‑abandoned nitazene class, that delivers strong pain relief in rodents without causing respiratory depression or high addiction potential. The molecule acts as a μ‑opioid‑receptor superagonist yet exits the brain...
STAT+: Lilly’s Obesity Pill Enters the Oral GLP-1 Game, Novo Responds
The FDA approved Eli Lilly’s oral GLP‑1 obesity pill orforglipron, marking the first FDA‑cleared oral weight‑loss drug. The approval puts Lilly into direct competition with Novo Nordisk, which is developing its own oral GLP‑1 candidate. Simultaneously, a draft Trump administration order could...
Shionogi Enters $2.5 Billion Agreement to Acquire All Rights to Radicava
Shionogi completed a $2.5 billion acquisition of global rights to Radicava from Tanabe Pharma, adding an approved ALS treatment to its portfolio. The deal transfers all intellectual property, sales rights and the existing commercial team, delivering an estimated $700 million in annual...
FDA Approves Eli Lilly’s Foundayo Pill as NHS Expands Wegovy to Over 1 Million Heart Patients
The FDA gave fast‑track approval to Eli Lilly’s oral GLP‑1 obesity drug Foundayo, and the UK’s NHS announced a rollout of semaglutide (Wegovy) to over 1 million adults with prior heart attacks or strokes. Both moves broaden the therapeutic reach of GLP‑1...
Harvard Launches Trial to Test Psychedelic Coaching Boost for Ketamine Depression Therapy
Harvard investigators at Massachusetts General Hospital have started a randomized clinical trial to evaluate whether adding psychedelic coaching to FDA‑approved ketamine infusions improves outcomes for patients with treatment‑resistant depression. The study aims to settle a growing debate over the role...
UK NHS to Offer Wegovy to 1.2 Million Heart Patients, Expanding GLP‑1 Use Beyond Obesity
The UK’s National Health Service will prescribe semaglutide (Wegovy) to about 1.2 million adults who have had a heart attack or stroke and have a BMI of 27 or higher. The move follows NICE’s recommendation and a cost‑effective deal with Novo...
Harbin Institute of Technology Demonstrates DNA Nanorobots that Capture SARS‑CoV‑2
Scientists from the Harbin Institute of Technology have built DNA‑based nanorobots that can locate and bind SARS‑CoV‑2 virus particles in vitro. The machines, only a few dozen nanometers across, use strand‑displacement chemistry to change shape and deliver drugs directly to...
Analytics that Matter- How LC and MALS Drive Biosimilar Success
The FDA released draft guidance in October 2025 that reshapes biosimilar development by emphasizing analytical data. The guidance suggests that robust analytical comparability can replace or reduce comparative efficacy studies. It calls for comprehensive analytical packages using orthogonal techniques such as...
The Rollercoaster Ride Stopps and Danish IO Biotech Goes Bust
Copenhagen‑based IO Biotech, a cancer immunotherapy firm, saw its flagship melanoma vaccine Cylembio miss the primary endpoint in a Phase III trial, prompting the FDA to advise against filing for approval. The regulatory setback left the company with insufficient runway, as...
Merck Receives the EC Approval for Keytruda, Plus CT ± Avastin to Treat PD-L1+ Pt-Resistant Ovarian Carcinoma
The European Commission has granted approval for Merck’s Keytruda (pembrolizumab) combined with paclitaxel, with or without Avastin, to treat PD‑L1‑positive, platinum‑resistant ovarian, fallopian‑tube or primary peritoneal carcinoma. The indication covers adults who have received one or two prior systemic regimens...
Creatine Plus Probiotic Eases Depression via Gut‑brain Energy Boost
1/2) New placebo-controlled human randomized controlled trial finds creatine + a specific probiotic is effective in treating depression. The mechanism is fascinating, involving the probiotic increasing creatine transporters in the gut, leading to increased brain energy metabolism. If you're passionate about this...
Small Pharma Must Strike Pricing Deal in 180 Days
New: Small pharma companies are in talks with the White House to sign drug pricing deals of their own. Small companies will have to cut a deal in the next 180 days to fully avoid tariffs on branded drugs. https://t.co/XFalvi3i3D
Biocytogen and Sihuan Pharmaceutical Partner to Discover Novel Therapeutics in Multiple Indications
Biocytogen and China’s Sihuan Pharmaceutical have signed a strategic partnership to co‑develop novel antibody therapeutics across several disease areas, including obesity. The deal merges Biocytogen’s fully human antibody discovery platform—featuring target‑humanized mouse models, in‑vivo efficacy systems, and an AI‑driven sequence...
Lowering Barriers Unlocks Biotech’s Biggest Potential
What if the biggest unlock in biotech is simply access? Douglas Crawford built MBC BioLabs to lower barriers and enable 500+ startups. Excited to have him at SynBioBeta 2026. Visit the @SynBioBeta website to read the full article. https://t.co/HEfhvmwZ8i
Grok 4.1 Surpasses Newer Models in Drug Discovery Benchmarks
Whoa, @grok 4.1 beats many newer models in BVP. Btw. it is surprising that Grok does such a good job (not SOTA but better than frontier foundation models) in many drug discovery tasks https://t.co/UWaQZucawU
ACC 2026: Meta-Analysis Supports CagriSema as Superior First-Line Therapy in Obesity
At the ACC 2026 meeting, a Bayesian network meta‑analysis of 2,803 overweight and obese adults showed that the fixed‑dose combination CagriSema outperformed its components, cagrilintide and semaglutide 2.4 mg, across all efficacy measures. CagriSema delivered the greatest absolute and percent weight...
BeamTx's Risto‑cel Shows Promising Phase
1/@BeamTx announced the publication of clinical data from its Phase 1/2 BEACON clinical trial evaluating risto-cel - formerly known as $BEAM-101 for the treatment of sickle cell disease (SCD). The data was presented at #ASH25 🧵👇 & was published in...
Patients Maintain Weight Loss After Discontinuing GLP‑1s, Epic Shows
Interesting data from Epic medical records - suggests that for many patients in the "real world", they are able to keep the weight off after stopping GLP1s... https://t.co/dHfYdG6rEX #EpicResearch
Rhythm Posts First FDA Approval for Acquired Hypothalamic Obesity
Rhythm Pharmaceuticals announced FDA approval of IMCIVREE (setmelanotide) as the first therapy for acquired hypothalamic obesity, covering adults and children aged four and older. The decision follows the Phase 3 TRANSCEND trial, which demonstrated an 18.4% mean BMI reduction versus placebo...
AstraZeneca Reports the P-III (EMERALD-3) Trial Data on Imfinzi Combination + TACE in Unresectable Hepatocellular Carcinoma
AstraZeneca presented interim data from its Phase III EMERALD-3 trial, evaluating a single priming dose of Imjudo (300 mg) plus Imfinzi (1500 mg) followed by quarterly Imfinzi and transarterial chemoembolisation (TACE) with or without lenvatinib in 760 patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma...
Soleno Therapeutics Faces Securities Fraud Lawsuit; Investors Can Lead Class Action by May 5
Rosen Law Firm warns shareholders who purchased Soleno Therapeutics (NASDAQ: SLNO) between March 26 2025 and November 4 2025 that a securities fraud class action is pending. The firm urges qualified investors to file to become lead plaintiff by May 5 2026, citing alleged misrepresentations about...
Biotech Gains as Pharma Approval Success Diverges
Pharma has varying levels of success developing drugs. That's a boon for biotech Here are the biopharma companies ranked by likelihood of first approval (LoA%) from 2006-2022 $AMGN, $NVO, #Eisai top the list $GSK, #Astellas, $ABBV are at the bottom #learnbiotechinvesting #BiotechPrometheus
FDA Grants Fast Track Approval to Eli Lilly's $149‑$349 Daily Weight‑Loss Pill Foundayo
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has granted expedited approval to Eli Lilly's oral GLP‑1 weight‑loss pill, Foundayo, priced between $149 and $349 per month. The decision pits Lilly against Novo Nordisk’s injectable and oral options and could reshape obesity...
Pharma Pulse: Foundayo’s FDA Approval and the Strategic Risk of Pharmacy Data Consolidation
Eli Lilly’s Foundayo became the first new molecular entity approved under the FDA’s National Priority Voucher pilot, clearing in a record 50 days. It is the only GLP‑1 weight‑loss pill that can be taken without food or water restrictions, aiming to...
What Will Approval of Foundayo GLP-1 Tablets Bring?
The FDA has approved Foundayo (orforglipron), the first non‑peptide oral GLP‑1 tablet for obesity. As a small‑molecule drug, it sidesteps the manufacturing complexities that plagued peptide injectables like semaglutide and tirzepatide. Daily oral dosing promises easier adherence compared with weekly...